Reclosable can



Sept 28, 1965 B. B. LlPsKE 3,208,627

RECLOSABLE CAN Filed April l5. 1965 INVENTOR. BENJAMm B. L|Ps| s UnitedStates Patent O 3,208,627 RECLOSABLE CAN Benjamin B. Lipske, DownersGrove, Ill., assignor to National Can Corporation, Chicago, Ill., acorporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 15, 1963, Ser. No. 272,902 1 Claim.(Cl. 220-54) This invention relates to cans, and, more particularly, toa can having a removable and replaceable closure.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a can that has aremovable and replaceable cap which is retained in place by aring-shaped can end that exposes the cap and through which the cap mayproject, and wherein a portion of the ring-shaped can end is fracturableto permit the cap to be removed and replaced.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a can of thetype stated in which the ring overlies and retains the peripheral partof the cap in place on the can and wherein the overlaid part of the ringis severable along the score line radially outwardly of the peripheralpart of the cap to increase the size of the ring opening an amountsuiiicient to permit removal of the cap.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a can of thetype stated in which the overlaid part of the end constitutes a tearstrip that is easily severable along the score line, as for example, bya tear tab that is integral with the tear strip and is easily accessibleat the ring opening.

It is a further and important object of the present invention to providea can of the type stated in which the end ring is seam-sealed to the canbody and wherein the raw edge remaining on the end ring after removal ofthe tear strip lies radially inwardly of the seam and axially inwardlyof the end of the can so as to reduce the possibility of the raw edgecutting a person handling the can.

The attainment of the above and further objects of the present inventionwill be apparent from the following specification taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof.

In the drawing:

FIG. l is a perspective view of a can constructed in accordance with andembodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 2 and showing thecan after removal of the tear strip;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 2 and showing amodied form of can constructed in accordance with and embodying thepresent invention; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the can of FIG. 4, shown afterthe tear strip has been removed.

Referring now in more detail to the drawing, which illustrates preferredembodiments of the present invention, 1 designates a can fabricated ofsheet metal, such as coated black plate, tinplate, or the like, used inthe can making art, and comprising a can body 3 having an enveloping orside wall 5 that surrounds the central axis of the can body. The sidewall 5 is preferably a rectangular piece of sheet metal shaped into acylinder with the mating edges locked and solder-sealed together in theprovision of a longitudinally extending side seam 7. Closing the lowerend of the can body 3 is a bottom can end 9 that is secured to the sidewall 5 by a double lock seam 11.

Marginally secured to the upper end of the side wall 5 by a double lockseam 13 is an annular sheet metal neck ring 15 that is channel-shaped incross section and comprises a radially outer wall 17 and an upwardlyinclined radially inner wall 19. The axially outer end of the wall 19terminates below the seam 13, and the metal 3,208,627 Patented Sept. 28,1965 ICC of the inner wall 19 at said axially outer end thereof isoutwardly turned in the provision of an annular bead 21 that forms anopening 23 into the interior of a can body 3.

Mounted across the neck opening 23 is a removable and replaceable cap 25that may be fabricated of any suitable material, such as, high impactstrength polystyrene or linear polyethylene. The cap 25 has an invertedchannel-shaped peripheral portion 29 that overlies and receives the bead21. The cap 25 also has a central lift knob 31 that projects upwardly,terminating below the axially outer end of the seam 13.

Marginally secured by the seam 13 is a ring-like end member 33, of, forexample, sheet steel, that has an annular cap-retaining flange 35 whichoverlies and presses against the peripheral portion 29 of the cap 25.The end member 33 has a large central hole 37 through which the liftknob 31 projects, the dimension of the hole preferably being such thatthe radially inner edge 39 of the flange 35 lies slightly radiallyinwardly of the peripheral portion 29. The flange 35 has an annularscore line 41 that lies radially outwardly of the peripheral portion 29of the cap and radially inwardly of the seam 13 also preferably radiallyinwardly of the body wall 5. That part of the ange 35 that is bounded bythe score line 41 and inner edge 39 constitutes a tear strip 45 whichincludes a radially inwardly projecting pull tab 47, bounded on one sideby a short score line 41a.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the ange 35 on the endmember 33 assures `that the cap 25 remains in .place on the bead 21.When it is desired to gain access to the interior of the can body 3, thepull tab 45 may be grasped and pulled to tear the sheet steel tear strip45 along the score lines 41a, 41, whereupon the tear strip, thusremoved, may be discarded. Since the score line 41 was radiallyoutwardly of the peripheral portion 29 of the cap, the hole 37a (FIG. 3)in the end member 33 is suicently llarge to enable the cap 25 to bewithdrawn therethrough, namely, to the position shown in broken lines inFIG. 3. Thereafter, the cap 25 may be removed and replace-d as accesst-o the interior of the can body 3 is desired. The dimensions of thebead 21 and peripheral portion 29 may be such as to insure a reasonablysnug fit between the two, but yet permit ready removal of the cap 25 byan upward pull on the lift knob 31.

The raw edge of metal that remains on the end member 33 is that whichdelines the hole 37a and such raw edge lies in such position that it isnot likely to cut the hand `of a person handling the can.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a modified form of can constructed inaccordance with 1the present invention, and wherein like referencecharacters .indicate those parts that c-orrespond to the parts of can ofFIGS. 1 3, previously described. In the can of FIGS. 4 and 5, the sidewall 5 is formed with an annular radially inwardly extending bead 50that lies adjacent to the lock seam 13. The peripheral portion of thecap 25 comprises a bulge or rib 52 that is arcuate in cross section andmerges with a reversely curving depending skirt 54 that seats upon thebead 50. The end member 33 in FIGS. 4 and 5 differs from that in FIGS.1-3 in that the score line 41 is located on the radially inwardlypresented side of the seam 13 and preferably also radially inwardly ofthe side wall, just axially inwardly of the end of the seam 13. The endmember 33 overlies and engages the rib 52 to insure retentive engagementof the skirt 54 and bead 50, thereby insuring that .the cap remains inclosure-wise position over the opening into the can body that is definedby the bead 50.

When the tear strip is removed, the raw edge 56 (FIG. 5) will remain,but since this raw edge is radially inwardly, and to some extent axiallyinwardly, presented, the danger of a person cutting his hand whilehandling the can is minimized. Removal of the tear `strip enables thecap 25 to be removed, as shown in FIG. 5. The cap skirt 54 and rib 52has suicient resiliency, within elastic limits, to be readily removedfrom the bead 50 after the tea-r strip has been removed from the endmember 33.

While the score line in FIGS. 1-2 is shown in such position as toprovide only a small clearance for removal of the cap after severance ofthe tear strip, it is apparent ,that the score line could be placed in aposition similar to that in FIG. 4 or at any other place between thosetwo places illustrated. Likewise, the score line in FIG. 4 may beradially inwardly on the end member for the position shown. However, itmust provide for a large enough opening for the cap to be removed whenthe tear strip is severed.

In compliance with the requirements of the patent statutes I have hereinshown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention. It is,however, to be understood that the invention is not limited to theprecise construct-ion herein shown, the same being merely illus-Itrative of the principles of the invention. What is considered new andsought to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A can comprising a can body having an enveloping body wall that`surrounds the central axis of said can body, an end member at one endof the can body and secured thereto by a lock seam formed by theperipheral material of the end member and the adjacent material of thebo-dy wall, an annular neck ring channel shaped in cross section andopening toward said one end of the can body, said neck ring having aradially outer wall and an upwardly and inwardly inclined radially innerwall which cooperate to form the channel, said outer wall being adjacentto the body wall and being secured at its axial outer end by said lockseam, said inner wall terminating at its axial outer end in an annularbead thatdefines an opening into the interior of the body, a removableand replaceable one piece plastic cap closing said opening, said caphaving a channel shaped peripheral porti-on that receives the bead toprovide a snug t therebetween but of insuicient snugness to inhibitmanual removal of the cap, said end member having a hole exposing saidcap, a knob on said cap and projecting through said hole, said endmemberhaving an .annular score line radially outwardly of and `surroundingsaid peripheral portion, the part of said end member radiallyintermediate the hole and score line constituting a tear strip thatoverlies and abuts the peripheral part of the cap and by engagementtherewith prevents retraction of the cap from the bead, said tear stripalso spanning the opening in the channel so that there is substantialclearance between said tear strip and the bottom of the channel, and atab that forms part 'of said end member and is capable of being pulledto remove the tear strip by tearing along the score line to form anenlarge-d hole that is defined by the raw edge of metal that remainsthereon and through which enlarged hole the cap may be removed andreplaced.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,088,133 2/14Eichhorn 21S- 90 3,067,910 12/62 A-demsen 220-54 3,142,412 7/ 64Blakeslee 220-54 FOREIGN PATENTS 26,683 1912 Great Britain.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner.

